Final answer:
Extensive republics are more favorable for electing representatives who protect the public interest as they present a wider variety of parties and interests, making it harder for factions to dominate and ensuring a more tempered selection of candidates with established characters and merit.
Step-by-step explanation:
Extensive Republics and the Election of Representatives
When considering the protection of the public interest in the context of electing representatives, extensive republics are more favorable than small ones. In an extensive republic, the larger number of citizens and the wider variety of interests make it more difficult for a single faction to dominate. This reduces the chance that any one group can oppress others or betray the public weal. It also makes it less likely for unworthy candidates to manipulate elections successfully, thus the elected representatives are more likely to be individuals who possess merit and established characters. Furthermore, with a greater number of parties and interests, the odds increase that the representatives will have the public's true interest in mind and not be led by local prejudices or sinister designs.
Moreover, the mechanism of representation in extensive republics tends to produce a more refined and enlightened governance. As the number of representatives is proportionally larger in smaller republics, if the pool of fit characters is not smaller in a large republic, it provides a greater probability of making a fit choice. Lastly, an extensive republic like the Union provides added security against the potential tyranny of the majority through its diversity and the complexity of orchestrating majority oppression across a wider population.